Tips for Running a Successful Fitness Business from GS Fitness Boot Camp

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From Gary Settles, Owner of GS Fitness Boot Camp

Gary Settles is the owner of GS Fitness Boot Camp located in NYC, near Herald Square and Chelsea Piers. GS Fitness Boot Camp strives to help their clients live healthier and happier lives and has been doing so since 2006.

We had a chance to speak with Gary about his thoughts on what it takes to create a successful fitness business. He provided several tips that can help those who are considering starting a gym or looking for a competitive edge in their market. Here is what he recommends:

Be genuinely interested in your clients: Your clients will see right through you if you aren’t genuine and truly interested in helping them achieve their goals. At GS Fitness Boot Camp, our goal is to help build and strengthen each client’s body with challenging, fun and effective workouts so they are better equipped to handle life and its daily grind. I have my team focus their energy on providing this every time our members come to our gym for a workout.

Start your fitness business with a cloud-based software: Make sure the software you choose provides customizable options for workout and attendance tracking, as well as integrating with your website. Having this software from the start will make life much easier for you, your staff and most importantly, your members.

Make sure your software provider has excellent customer service: Anytime I have an issue, my fitness software customer service rep is patient with me and makes me feel comfortable that a solution will be found. Make sure you are comfortable with your software provider’s customer service. For me, great customer service was one of the biggest factors in deciding which software provider to go with.

Follow up with your new clients immediately after sign-up: Providing a good first impression for your new members is very important. Make sure your software provider has a tool that will alert you when a new member signs up. This way, you can send them an email welcoming them to the gym and letting them know you and your team will be dedicated to helping them meet their fitness goals.

“Several years ago, I read a blog from another trainer on how to run your fitness business efficiently, and it suggested using a cloud based member management software,” said Gary. “This industry expert said that software really helps you retain clients and if you are spending your time chasing clients for payments, it reflects badly on your business. After reading this, I knew we needed a cloud-based software to help manage the business.” In all Gary estimates he reduces his administrative work by about 60% because he has Zen Planner for his fitness software provider.


Looking for additional tips for running a successful fitness business? Get your copy of our free Boutique Fitness Benchmark Report. It features the five main things thriving fitness studios around the world are doing to create success for themselves, as well as valuable benchmark data so you can see how your studio stacks up!

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About the Author: Kelli Sweeting

I'm Coach Kelli, a devoted CrossFit gym owner with 15 years of experience managing my facility, along with owning yoga studios and wellness centers. Beyond the fitness world, I have a passion for cooking, cherish moments with my children and family, and find joy in spending time outside. Having experienced the highs and lows, I'm dedicated to leveraging my expertise to help you grow and succeed on your fitness journey.